Tuesday
02Sep2008
Lawsuit Could Delay 'Watchmen' Up to a Year
Tuesday, September 2, 2008 at 12:01PM 
Could we be forced to wait until 2010 to see
Watchmen?The lawsuit between Fox and Warner Bros. is a serious one, and in fact, may not just be a case where Warners agrees to fork over a hundred million bucks or something. Fox is actually following through on this, and according to The New York Times, it could knock the film off the 2009 release schedule. The case will go to trial next year, although,"The report also outlined conflicting requests for a trial date: as early as next June, if Fox has its way, or April, if Warner prevails.” So what does that mean? Unless there's some quick and effective Come to Jesus, the film will be delayed. Fox doesn't want it released until their demands are resolved. If it goes to court, April is already past the film's scheduled release date of March 6th, meaning that Watchmen would almost certainly be moved to summer. That's if the case is resolved quickly. And if the judge in the case decides to hear it in June, which is what Fox wants, you can pretty much kiss summer goodbye. Hey, maybe this could be the first blockbuster released on Labor Day weekend. More than likely, though, a court date of June would mean a 2010 release for Watchmen. That's pretty bad news; you have to wonder if the buzz can sustain itself for that long. There's still hope the two sides can resolve this thing out of court, which is what I would think Warner Bros. would want to do - just cut a check and move on. Why Fox would want to bury the film is beyond me, especially if their goal is to share in its potential glory.
Reader Comments (3)
dictatorship. waiting for watchmen in 2010 is offensive.
why not raise the gas prices to $10 while they're at it. way to ruin everyone's day, FOX.
Why doesn't someone sue Fox's ass for the crimes they perpetuated on America like The Happening, Meet Dave, and Babylon A.D.- not to mention the way the killed the X-Files franchise, dating back to the early part of this decade?
I was initially "pro-Warner Brothers" in this matter. But the more I hear, the more I have to admit that Fox might have a case here. I can't help but feel that a judge wouldn't let this go forward if Fox's claims didn't have some merit--and wasn't ISEB reporting that Fox was trying to get this settled BEFORE "Watchmen" started filming?
If this is true, WB has no one to blame but themselves and their legal department for this mess. "Ignore them and maybe they'll go away" isn't the best legal strategy.